A Glitch to the Past
by Insert Typical Username Here
Summary: A young hero's tale. An adventure of epic proportions! . . . Only it's not going how it was intended to happen. There is much more ate work here than a simple resurrection of the Demon King. Inspired by NakaTeleeli's LP of A Link to the Past.
1. Chapter 2

"Link, wake up."

A rousing of the consciousness. A stirring from slumber.

"Link, we don't have time. Wake up."

"_Grumble, grumble."_

"Ugh. Fine, fine. You asked for this."

SMACK

"Uwah!" Link bolted upright. Startled, he frantically glanced around. "Huh? What? What's going on?"

"Good, you're awake," said a mature voice behind him. He turned, and once again found himself face-to-face with the Princess of Hyrule.

"Princess Zelda? What's going on?" Link's head started to clear. As it did, a ringing in his ears became painfully obvious. "And why do my eardrums feel like they've been trampled on by a horse?"

"That would be my fault," Zelda admitted. "I woke you up using a loud noise. A spell performed by bringing one's hands together."

"So . . . you woke me up by clapping."

"I said, it was a spell."

"A _clapping_ spell."

"Well, it was a really loud clap!"

"You have _magic claps._"

"Link, that just sounds weird. Knock it off."

"Fine, fine." Link rolled his eyes. It was then that he noticed that he was in a very familiar location. "Wait, we're back here _again_? What happened? What's going on?"

"I'd love to know as well as you would," Zelda stated, "but the truth of the matter is that after we passed out at the end of that long hallway, we woke up here. I know not how or why, but that is the simple reality of it."

"Um, okay." Link shrugged. "Well, we still need to get out of here." They arose, and, seeing as the cell door was unlocked—did someone unlock it, or was it still unlocked from last time?—the pair quickly snuck past the jailer knight, who, thankfully, did not have spiky balls of flaming death this time. They turned the corner, only to once again come face-to-face with another armored figure.

"Link, watch out! That's—" Zelda began.

"Don't worry! I got this!" The green-clad monster, startled, could not do anything as Link unleashed a Spin Attack. In a matter of seconds, the only trace that remained of him was a vanishing plume of black mist.

"That probably caught Big Nasty's attention," Link noted. "Let's go."

Onwards and upwards they went, through the maze of the catacombs of the dungeons of Hyrule Castle. Occasionally, they would happen upon more of those strange pseudo-knights, alone or in groups. Having a fair bit of experience, Link could now dispatch the abominations with relative ease. After what seemed to be the seventh knight, he turned around to Zelda. "You know, you seem rather relaxed for someone who is slaughtering what appears to be your loyal guardians."

"Eh, you're killin' guys, I'm just gonna stand here and not bother ya."

"Wait what."

"In addition, not only are they mere constructs of dark power made to resemble my own valiant soldiers, I am not a complete stranger when it comes to death and bloodshed."

"Whoa."

Zelda gave a mysterious smirk. "Being a princess has its challenges, Link."

With that being said, the pair continued on their way through the dank hallways of the dungeon underneath the castle. Eventually, they entered the room where Link had collapsed the first time, before things went . . . weird. Tentatively, Link took a step. When nothing happened, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Oh, good."

"Link, I somehow doubt that the floor is going to eat you." Zelda said dryly.

"Hey, I collapsed in here last time. You don't know what could happen," came the response.

As it seemed there was nothing to worry about, Link and Zelda moved on. Up a flight of stairs, across a ledge, around a corner, and into the next room. Where the ledge ended was a drop of maybe about twelve or so feet deep.

"Looks like we'll have to jump," Link said, after searching around for an alternative way down.

"Or, we could grab onto the ledge and drop down," offered Zelda.

Link jumped.

Zelda facepalmed.

After Zelda cautiously made her way down, they continued on their path. After a short while, they found the same flight of stairs that Link had used to descend into the depths of the dungeon. With Link leading the way, the two ascended out of the darkness, and into a brightly-lit hallway. Unfortunately, they couldn't even stop to rest, as their journey had not gone unnoticed by the various patrollers of the dungeons, and they were currently in hot pursuit. As such, they moved on.

"You know, for a stealthy rescue mission, we sure seem to be attracting a lot of attention," Link quipped. They were currently in one of the various long rooms the Hylian Castle seemed to be fond of, surrounded by several Soldiers, as Zelda had taken to calling them, of various color.

"Focus, Link." Zelda said, taking out several foot-long needles.

"Wait, where did you get those from? And why didn't you use them before?"

"_Focus._"

Now, one would normally expect a mind-blowing action sequence in their current situation: two fighters, back-to-back, surrounded by foes. While the "action sequence" that Link and Zelda currently starred in did have a fair amount of excitement to it, it was all over rather quickly, and not worth mentioning at this present time. Needless to say, the pair found themselves once again running through the halls of Hyrule Castle away from their tireless pursuers.

At last, they found themselves in the main chamber of the castle. Just as Link was about to turn to exit out of the front gates, Zelda stopped him.

"There is a secret passage in the throne room that leads to the Sanctuary. I'm sure that the old man there will be of help."

"Ugh, more stairs."

They encountered little opposition in their flight up the flights of stairs. Bursting open the large, ornate door that heralded the chamber where the King sat, they hurried past the large pillars and various fine curtains. They stopped in front of the two seats that belonged to Hyrule's rulers. Upon seeing their majestic forms so empty, a shadow passed over Zelda's face. By the time Link had registered what he saw, it was gone.

" . . . That ornamental shelf should open. Hopefully, you have some means of illumination. It's pitch-black inside, and you can't see without one."

The pair of refugees braced their shoulders against the slab of stone. Grunting, Link shoved and pushed and strained his body. Slowly, painfully, the shelf moved. The entire process took several minutes, as the grinding of the shelf against the floor had attracted the attention of the imposter Soldiers. After the rumbling stopped, the two caught their breath, panting. As Zelda turned to head down into the depths, Link called out, "Wait, uh, Princess Zelda."

She turned. "Just 'Zelda' is fine. You've already dropped the 'Princess title several times now, anyway."

"Oh, sorry. Um, I'm very sorry for your loss."

The princess was surprised. She had not been expecting that. "What made you say that?"

"You looked sad when you saw the thrones. I'm guessing they reminded you of your parents, right? Did that Wizard guy kill them?"

She smiled softly. "Thank you, Link. I do not know what happened to my mother. And yes, Father was killed right in front of me. I appreciate your concern."

"My uncle was just killed on the way here." Link nodded, eyes downcast.

"I am truly sorry for your loss. Your uncle was a great man." They stood for a moment, silent.

"He's ALSO annoyed by the lack of movement, here!" A gruff voice called out.

The two jumped. Floating in front of the entrance into the darkness, with an annoyed expression on his face, was the ghost of Link's uncle.

"Crap! Uncle! I forgot you were undead!"

"HURRY UP!" the specter bellowed. Startled into action, the pair quickly delved once again into the darkness.

Bringing out his Lantern, Link stepped into the darkness. They could hear the squeaking of rats as they scurried about in the dark. Illumination guiding their way, it was not long before they found a staircase to a lower floor.

"Jeez, that's with this place having so many stairs?" the purple-haired swordsman grumbled.

"I don't know, what about your uncle being a ghost? What about ghosts _existing?_" Zelda shot back.

"Don't ask me." Came the reply.

The hallway they found themselves in was long and damp, like the one before it. Only this time, instead of rats scurrying about, they had to deal with . . .

"Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?!" Snarled Zelda.

"Ropes, technically. But whatever." Link dismissed.

With the enemies of confusing nomenclature dispatched via wrathful foot-long spikes through the skull courtesy of the local Princess, the way was clear once more. Well, as clear as it could be in complete darkness.

They found their way blocked at the end of the hallway by a locked door. "Jeez, now we gotta find a key." Link grumbled. However, before he could turn away, Zelda pushed him aside. "Keep the door illuminated," she commanded. He complied. Zelda took a stance, knees bent, feet wide. Her hands moved towards her waist, with her palms cupped together.

"Strong arms of the goddess, create for me a path with your burning strength." Zelda chanted. Between her palms, a red light began to grow, brighter and brighter, dwarfing the smaller light of Link's lantern and casting everything into an unnerving crimson.

With a cry of "Din's Fire," Zelda thrust her palms towards the locked door. From them erupted a ball of fire which flew straight into the offending impediment. Upon impact, the door was violently blown off its hinges in an eruption of magical flame. After the dust settled, Zelda straightened, and said a simple, "Let's go," before stalking off towards the now-open staircase. Link gaped, frozen in place, before snapping out of it, and following her.

* * *

They found themselves in a large, spacious catacomb. The stench was horrible, the wetness was unpleasant, and the rats continued their incessant, bothersome screech.

"We're close," said Zelda. Link noticed that she was still in the same funk that she had been in for the last little bit. "Through these sewers should be the Sanctuary."

"Um, I have a question." Link said as they ran.

"What?" Zelda replied, an edge to her voice.

"Why didn't you do that fire-thing earlier?"

"Low on mana, wanted to save it."

"But you didn't need to—"

"Don't try me, Link. I'm very frustrated right now."

The rest of the trip passed in an awkward silence. The silence only grew from awkward to tense as they came upon another locked door. Before Zelda had the chance to blow any more doors down in her frustration, Link vanished, coming back a minute later with a small key. Conveniently, the door opened up, and the way was clear. Through the door, onwards and upwards, and into a hallway. Zelda visibly relaxed. The materials for the place they had just entered were noticeably different than that of the dungeon. Link surmised that this place must be the Sanctuary. In the next room was another closed door. Link braced himself for another bout of irritation from Zelda, but she simply said, "Pull the lever and open the door."

"Which one? There are two."

" . . . This one."

"You don't know, do you?"

"Just pull it." Link pulled, and heard something slide open. "All right! We did it!" He froze as he turned around.

Ropes fell from the ceiling, numerous and menacing. They quickly homed in on the pair.

"Hurry up and pull the other!" Zelda shouted. She spun, flinging out needles at every opportunity, skewering each snakelike monster through head. Link cut a path through the beasts, and quickly pulled the other lever. This time, the door opened. They dashed for the exit, slaying the snakes that were still in their path. Link, who was the last one out, quickly turned and slammed the door shut. They collapsed onto the floor, panting.

"What was _that?_" said Link between breaths.

"A little present for those who would try to sneak in without permission." Zelda managed. "Unfortunately, I fell for that trick many times during . . . princess training."

"Oh, so that's why you hate Ropes so much," Link noted, making a note to ask Zelda about "princess training" later. "That's why you were in a bad mood for the entire way here?"

"That, and I'm low on mana."

"Ah." Similar to being hungry, people tend to get grumpy when their magical reserves had been depleted.

After a moment of silence, in which the two caught their breath, Zelda stood, and offered Link a hand, which he took. "We're here," she said, pointing to a door that was not six feet way, "just through that entrance." She knocked three times on the door. Stone, it seemed, by the sound of it.

A voice rang out. "Password?"

"Princess be I, Shekiah be I. Make clear the way for the Sons of the Sky."

A rumble emanated from the door as it slid, opening up to a bright light. Link had to cover his eyes with his hand to eliminate the glare. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out a room, bisected by a carpeted aisle, with rows of pews travelling down its length. Adorning the walls at even intervals were stain-glass windows, and, smiling at him as he entered out onto the raised altar above the floor, was the old Priest.

They had arrived at the Sanctuary, safe and sound.

"Princess Zelda, you are safe. This is joyously good news," said the Priest, eyes shining in relief. He then turned to the young man who often frequented the place with his Uncle. They were fairly religious, like most Hylians. "Link, is this your doing?"

"Indeed it is," Zelda answered before Link could say a word. "Link helped me escape from the dungeon. He has my eternal gratitude for it." She finished with a smile on her face. Beautiful as it was, Link couldn't help but remember his Uncle's last words—among the living, that is—that told him of a connection to Zelda. She was his what? Future bride? Sister? Comrade? . . . . Aunt?

Link shook his head and refocused. Zelda was now talking to the Priest in a serious tone. "Whilst I was captive in the dungeons, the Wizard Agahnim told me that 'I was the last' and that 'once he has finished with me, the final Seal of the Sages would open."

"This is troubling news, indeed." The elderly man agreed. "It does not bode well for Hyrule if such a thing could happen soon. I am relieved that you are here, safe from harm."

"Wait, what's going on?" Link asked. "Final Seal? Sages? What?"

"I'm sure you know," began the Priest, "of the legend of the Sages?"

"Yeah, everyone does."

"Well, use your head. If the Wizard releases the Seal, evil power will flood the land."

"Evil power?"

"I'm sure you're intelligent enough to figure out the connection between 'evil power' and 'Seal', Link." Zelda deadpanned. She turned back to the elderly clergyman. "Something else bothers me. Something . . . _weird_ happened in our escape from the dungeon."

"How so?" queried the pastor.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Link chimed in. Absentmindedly putting away his sword and shield, which were still out, and extinguishing his lamp, which was still on, Link recollected what had happened in the prison. "When we first were escaping, we collapsed in a room several floors above the holding cell. When we came to, we were back, with no sign of having left in the first place, or even someone bringing us back. _Then_, the guard's balls lit on fire, we had to run through a crack in the wall, a pig-guy twirled a spear around, and we ended up in a room with three golden triangles." At this, the Priest's eyes flew open in shock. "After that, we woke up back again in the jail cell and made our way out. Oh, and Zelda hates snakes, is lethally accurate with needles, takes her anger out on doors and makes some rather questionable decisions concerning her use of magic." He shot, casting an irritated glance in the princess' direction. "Oh, and she has magic wake-up claps."

"Ignoring the last bit for now," the elderly man said, turning to the now-irritated Zelda, "was what he said true?"

She ignored him. "I told you, I had to conserve mana."

"You blew up a door with fire."

"I was frustrated!"

"That's not conservation."

"I was low, all right? I was at my wit's end."

"Well—" Link stopped. It kinda made sense. Sort of. "Fine, fine. But couldn't you have blasted us out, or something? Or teleported? Or, you know, helped me using your needle things earlier?"

"Not enough magic to do that, and you had everything covered."

"Please, could we focus back on hand?" the Priest interjected, exasperated. "You have said some pretty serious things right now." He turned once again to Zelda. "Is what he said true?"

"Unfortunately, he is correct," she confirmed, eyes narrowing. "Be it a vision, a dream, a hallucination, or reality, we did see the Holy Triforce at the end of that strange hallway. It . . . spoke to us, for lack of a better word, and then we fainted straightaway, awakening in my prison cell once again."

"This . . . is disturbing information," the Priest said worriedly. "Why would the Holy Triforce appear to you so suddenly?"

"In addition," continued Zelda, "we also saw what appeared to be a vision of the King of Evil himself, wielding his Trident." The elderly man's face went pale. "He seemed to notice us as we were running in the hallway."

Steadying himself with use of the nearby pulpit, the pastor took a shaky breath. "It seems that he was right." He muttered. "This is quite unfortunate."

"Huh? He who?" Link asked.

The Priest sighed. "Very well. It seems that there is no choice." He raised his head to face the ceiling. "You can come out now."

To the surprise of Zelda and Link, down from the ceiling fluttered a small, yellow, birdlike creature. "You called, pastor?" it said, its voice somewhat high but masculine.

"Nakate, this is Link and Zelda," the Priest introduced. "Link and Zelda, Nakate."

"Um, hi?" Link said. Zelda merely raised an eyebrow and a hand in greeting.

The bird-Cuccoo? Link wondered—fluttered to the floor. Standing barely up to Link's thigh, the Cuccoo-thing bowed its golden, feathered head. "Greetings and salutations," it said politely, blue eyes shining. "I am Nakate the Honeywhite, traveler and student of life. I am come here to warn you a great disaster that is about to happen."

"You mean, Ganon's awakening?" Zelda asked, which caught both Nakate and Link by surprise.

"How did you know?" Nakate asked. "After all—"

"Quick question," Link interjected. "One," he faced Zelda. "What? What's happening?"

"Use your brain, Link. What we saw was Ganon. The Wizard is attempting to undo a seal on a 'great evil.' According to the legends that were passed down, there were not that many evils great enough to be sealed by the power of the Gods. As the figure we saw was wielding a trident, Ganon's signature weapon. This can only mean one thing."

"So, you know they're connected?" Link asked.

"I'd be surprised if they weren't." Zelda deadpanned.

"That answers my question, then," Nakate replied. "However—"

"Not done yet." Link cut it off once again. He turned to the strange newcomer. "What are you? Are you a Cuccoo, or something? Also, are you a guy? I can't keep on calling you 'it' in my head. Sounds kinda rude."

The yellow bird-thing sighed. "Yes, I am male. As for your question of species, I am not of anything that you can find in Hyrule," he said, to Link and Zelda's confusion. "You may refer to me as a 'Chocobo'. Kweh," he coughed, almost as an afterthought.

"What?"

"But that is not of any importance right now." Naka the Honeywhite the Chocobo turned back to Zelda. "Yes, you are right. However, that is only part of the problem. As you've experienced, strange distortions are happening all across Hyrule—nay, even the world. Fluctuations, if you will, in reality. It is unknown where they come from, but they seem to be the result of a strange power leaking into this world." He hopped a couple of feet as he spoke, beak slightly distorting as he formed words, similar to the lips of a human's mouth. "What will happen is unknown, but it most assuredly cannot be good, if the wrong hands get their hand on it. Which they already have—the Wizard Agahnim has already harnessed this power. He is working with things that he cannot possibly understand."

"So, what's he doing? And how do we stop this?" Link asked, unnerved.

The Priest, who had been silent for a while now, suddenly spoke up. "Link, do not focus on that right now. I do not what these omens and visions, if they are merely that, of yours mean. However, the fact of the matter is that Agahnim must be stopped. The power that is guiding him, Ganon's power, can only be defeated by the Master Sword." He looked Link in the eyes, an intensity there that made Link pay rapt attention to every word he said. "This is a most grave matter. The fate of the entire world is in your hands."

Link sat down, hard, on the wooden floor, head in his hands. "This is a lot to take in," Zelda said.

"You seem very calm about this," the Priest remarked.

"I've had time to prepare. I figured that it could be something along the lines of this."

" . . . I have to do it, don't I."

"Huh?" The part in question remarked.

"I have to do it." Link let out a deep breath, stood up, and straightened. His posture was visibly stronger. "It's my destiny, right?"

"Technically," Nakate said, "You don't _have_ to do it. I'm sure the Gods will provide another way." What he didn't add on was the unspoken _for better or for worse._

"It is indeed your choice." Zelda affirmed. "But just remember, there are consequences for either choice you make."

"Thank you," Link said after a moment. "But I choose this path. This is a task that I have been given by fate, the Gods, or destiny, whatever. I'm not going to run away, even if it causes me suffering."

"Wow, that was . . ." Zelda said, surprised. "A rather mature thing to say."

"It must be the 'Courage' of the 'Spirit of the Hero'." the elderly Priest realized. "So, the Hero has returned once again in a time of need."

"Wait, really?" Link said, gears switching from "somber" to "excited" so fast it could give one whiplash, "I'm the new Hero?"

"Wait, you didn't know?" Zelda raised an eyebrow. "You mean the triangle tattoo on the back of your left hand didn't tip you off?"

" . . . Everyone in my family has that, though. And I know another guy with a similar mark."

" . . . Wait, really?"

"Kinda, yeah. Though his is not so much a triangle on the back of his left hand as it is a star on his shoulder, near the neck."

"Oh my." Nakate said, surprised. "To think that one of them would be even found here. But enough of that," he said. "Now that you have properly been warned, I believe that I shall bid you all a good day."

"You ain't goin' anywhere," Zelda said. "No, you're helping us out with this mess."

"I'm glad you think that I could be of assistance, but really, there is nothing that I can—"

"Don't you dare try to worm yourself out with that one," she said. "You expect us to go on our own, to deal with not only the reawakening of Ganon by a crazed wizard, but these 'distortions of reality', as you put it? No way no how, buddy-boy. You're gonna go with Link and solve this problem, and that's that."

Nakate blinked large, birdlike eyes. "Hmm, never thought of it that way. I guess it does make sense for me to help out." He fluttered a bit before bowing once again and looking up at the Hylians. "Well then, I look forward to working with you, Link."

"Uh, likewise," Link said, bemused. He turned to the Priest. "Well then, I guess I should be off."

"Take care, Link." The elderly man replied. "You should head to Kakariko Village to seek the elder there. He should give you more information." He handed him a map that he seemed to procure out of nowhere. "Take this, you'll need it. If I'm right, you're going to be heading many places around Hyrule."

"Thanks, Priest." Link said. "All right. I'm going to need to go home to grab some stuff first, and then I'll be on my way."

"That's probably not a good idea," Zelda stated. "There are going to be a bunch of those Soldiers around. You can get what you need at Kakariko."

"Oh, fine. You comin'?"

"Nice try," Zelda shook her head. "I've gotta stay here. They're looking for me, and this place is one of the few that can not only hide my presence but that monsters cannot enter as well. This coupled with my need to recharge my mana, I ain't going anywhere for a while."

"Slacker," Link grumbled. "But anyway, thanks." He took a few steps, before turning around. "You know, you seem a great deal different than what I've heard about you."

"What, not used to my snark?" Zelda smirked. "I get that a lot. You learn things when you're pestered with greedy nobles daily."

"It's actually kind of funny," Link said. "It creates a very different mental picture than what most people believe."

"She's actually rather kind and gentle," offered the Priest, "when she's not frustrated, you know. So, you're not wrong, but that's not the entire picture."

"All right, then." Link said. He turned to leave. "Right, I'm off!"

"One last thing," the Priest said. "Before you leave, take this." He held out a crimson stone in the shape of a heart. Link's eyes widened as he saw it. "I believe this will come in handy."

"Woah," Link said, gratefully accepting the stone in both hands, "This is . . ." he trailed off.

"What is this?" asked Nakate. Suddenly, the stone glowed brightly. Link held it above his head, as if offering it up to the Gods. The stone's light intensified, and when the light died down, it was nowhere to be seen. A crimson glow surrounded Link, and—stangely—he looked stronger and more full of energy than before. "Wait, what just happened?"

"Heart Container," Link said, still in awe. "They increase life force."

"One Heart Container, as they are commonly known," Zelda informed the Chocobo, "have the equivalence of one person's life force. Obtaining one adds to your own."

"So that means that Link here would have twice the vitality of a normal human?" Nakate asked, surprised.

"Four, actually." Link said, having come out of his trance. "Apparently, my family has been gifted with twice the vitality of a normal person. And not just vitality, but also strength, speed, and all that fun stuff."

"Wait, so it doubles?" Nakate asked, confused.

"Nah, I had three times the amount to begin with," Link said. Nakate's eyes widened in shock. "Sword training really paid off. It's complicated," he finished, noticing the perplexed expression on the bird.

"Well, then, I really am off this time," Link said, turning back. "So long, guys. Until later!" He quickly made his way down the Sanctuary's aisle, with Nakate fluttering after him.

"Stay safe!" the Priest called. Zelda merely smiled.

The doors opened, and Link, together with his new companion, stepped out in to the bright world of Hyrule.

* * *

Author's note: Hello, Insert here. So, I've been really busy. You know, IRL stuff. That, and I don't really know what direction I want some of my stories to go in. However, I do know what direction I want this to go in, and I figured that I should probably let you all know that I haven't disappeared off of the face of the earth. Like before, let me know what I can do in terms of improving my writing.

Thanks again,

Insert


	2. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Journey to the West and then the East

"What's the first thing you wanna do?" Nakate the Chocobo asked as Link as said Hero-to-Be looked at his map of Hyrule. Swordsman and bird-thing were standing on the side of the road leading away from the Sanctuary and towards the village of Kakariko.

"We should probably head west," Link decided after a moment of though. "We need to head that way anyway, so we might as well start making our way over in that general direction."

"All right, then. Let's go."

The strange pair started walking in the direction towards Kakariko village, making sure to keep to the sides of the road, and keeping out of sight whenever patrols of the fake knights known as Soldiers came by—they didn't want unnecessary conflict. As they travelled, Link recalled the stories that he had heard of the past Heroes who had risen up to save Hyrule. Funnily enough, most of them seemed to have had a partner who had traveled with them and assisted them along the way. It seemed that he was now a part of that legendary tradition. The thought greatly pleased the young swordsman.

"You're certainly in a fine mood," Nakate—_My partner!_ Link thought with glee—noted, seeing a spring to the young man's step.

"Well, yeah. Now that you're travelling with me, I'm like an actual Hero, you know?" Link asked with a grin. "Every Hero has a partner!"

"Not every Hero, but you do have a point," conceded the Chocobo. "I just hope you don't expect me to be able to hold my own in a fight. I'm very squishy and burnable—not warrior stuff at all."

The path split at a fork, heading left and right. After a moment's decision, the pair decided to head right. The rode seemed to slope upwards a bit.

"That reminds me," Link suddenly said, after rounding a corner, "What _are_ you, anyway?"

"I believed we had established this at the Sanctuary," Nakate replied. Having grown tired of walking, he was currently resting on the top of Link's head, like some kind of fuzzy yellow hat. Well, hat on top of a hat. "I am a Chocobo, a being not found in your—I mean, this world."

"Yeah, but what _are_ you?" Link repeated. "I mean, what can you do? You didn't think you could do much, but you still agreed with to go with me anyway."

"Ah, that. My plan was to inform the Princess of the current situation and then leave," Nakate admitted, preening, "to interfere as little as possible. But it seems that I did not think that you would not know what to do. I suppose I should have thought of that sooner."

"You think?" Link rolled his eyes. "So, what's going on, anyway?"

"I guess I can afford to shed more light on the situation," the Chocobo decided. "Very well."

He cleared his throat, which struck Link as very odd-sounding. _Did he just say, "kweh"?_

"Far away," Nakate began, "On a distant planet—world, I guess you'd say—a dark god attempted to spread his evil throughout the realm."

"Ah, so kind of like the legends about Ganon," Link said.

"Similar, yes." Nakate conceded. "In my travels, I've noticed that there are many similarities from world to world—I mean, you even have a Joestar among you!"

"A what?"

"Never mind." Continuing, he said, "Very long story short, said dark god was defeated by a hero, and peace was returned to the land. However, this god's power was a strange one. It messed with the fabric of space and time itself, twisting reality to meet the evildoer's needs."

"Whoa."

"Indeed impressive. However, at the god's defeat, the power that he used scattered. From what I've heard, it crystallized, or froze, and shattered, sending chunks and bits of the evil power throughout the stars."

"Sounds bad," Link said. "I'm guessing this is where we come in?"

"Not yet, but close. Now, a bunch of stuff happened, and the power, what I've heard some people call 'Subspace', has mostly vanished from existence. However, it seems its still exists in some places, and that the Wizard Agahnim has managed to get his hands on it."

"Oh, so basically," summed up Link, "A fragment of a dark god's power fell here, and the Wizard—Agahnim, was it?—is using his power to break the Sage's Seal."

"Essentially," confirmed the bird.

"And our job," Link continued, "is to get rid of this power, with use of the Master Sword. Get the Sword, beat up the dude, stab some crystals, don't let a demon wake up. Got it." He nodded, satisfied.

"That's the gist of it," agreed Naka. "The Subspace Power is causing distortions in your world. We must apprehend the sources and destroy them. Incidentally," he asked suddenly, "how did you know they were crystal shards?"

"Well, you did kind of say they were 'crystalized fragments of a dark power' earlier," the Hylian pointed out. "Also, there's usually crystals involved with this kind of thing."

"I have to agree with you there."

The pair continued on in relative silence, focused completely on making it to their destination. Around midday, they took a quick break to eat some lunch that the Priest had given them. It was almost sundown by the time they had arrived at a cabin in the woods—the sun had rose during the time Link partook in his rescue of Zelda in the dungeon. The cabin's owner, a well-known lumberjack, greeted Link as he passed by. After being treated to a quick supper, upon the lumberjack's insistence, the green-clad Hero-to-Be continued on his journey. Twilight arrived just as they approached a gap in the trees the path led to—an entrance to the mysterious Lost Woods.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to navigate dark woods at night?" Nakate asked, notably nervous.

"We should be fine. After all, I've been here plenty of times at night," Link adjusted the strap to his sword-belt. He paused, and drew his sword. "Wouldn't hurt to be careful, though."

The first thing the pair noticed upon entering the Lost Woods was the fog. Igniting his lantern, Link narrowed his eyes in an attempt to even see a yard in front of him. "How come we didn't notice this before? You can't see this fog from the outside."

"Indeed." Nakate coughed slightly. "Are you still sure that this is a good idea?"

"Completely," Link nodded. "Despite the fact that I haven't been here since I was a kid, and it was an accident, and it was only once, what can go wrong?"

Nakate fixed him with a flat stare. Link ignored it.

"Really, this is a bad idea." Nakate said. "I'm getting a very bad feeling about this."

"You do have a point," Link admitted. "But for some reason, I have this . . . _feeling_ that I'm supposed to go here. Like something's calling me."

"Feelings are very dangerous things," warned the Chocobo. "Following your heart will oftentimes lead to destruction."

Link said nothing, only focusing on making his way through the thick mist.

Despite the fog obscuring their view, and the fact that the moonlight barely filtered down through the interlocking branches of the trees, somehow they found themselves standing in a clearing. The fog was not as thick here—it seemed to give off a sacred air to the place, one of something ancient and untouched, rather than the stifling, blinding fog of before. Slowly, Link walked forward, while Nakate nervously glanced back and forth from atop his perch of Link's hat. Suddenly, Link stopped walking. The Chocobo, frightened, almost fell from Link's head, and was about to speak, when he noticed it.

A stone altar sat in the clearing. Carved into it were runes and letters of an ancient language long forgotten, and atop it sat a stone pedestal. It was covered in moss and dust, and did not look like it had seen human contact in a very, very long time. Stone steps, etched into its back, led to the top of the platform. Visible on the front of the pedestal were runes similar to the ones adorning the altar's base. Nakate, in the part of his mind that was not occupied by what lay before him, noted that the air around it seemed to be of a different time—the entire place was from a different age. But it was not the altar itself that caused Nakate to inhale sharply and Link to stare, straight ahead, almost as if hypnotized.

Standing upright in the stone pedestal, as if it were part of the stone itself, was a sword. The design was that of a crucifix—a hand-and-a-half sword, or bastard sword. The hilt was cylindrical, wrapped in a cross pattern, ending in a small jewel-like tip. The pommel was intricate, wings unfolding from the sides, a yellow gemstone shining brightly amidst the purple. The blade was a bright silver, its glow cutting through the fog. Despite the fact that moss covered much of the sword, it was clear that the sword was not at all rusted or aged—like the air around it and the pedestal in which it stood, the sword seemed to be taken directly from the pages of history—a timeless object. The pair could feel the aura of holiness radiating around them—a warm, gentle light that drove away the dark and embraced them in a pure love, but they could tell that the comforting light would turn sharp when needed.

"What . . . is this?" Nakate asked when he finally found his voice. Link did not speak, but continued to stare straight ahead. Slowly, he raised a hand, and took a single step forward. Right when he did, however, the blade flashed with a royal light, and when it died down, before them appeared a figure of a person, dressed in an odd garment of purple, and skin of azure. The sudden appearance of the figure was enough to snap Link out of his trance and cause Nakate to lose his balance with a startled cry, falling from his Link's head and onto the soft ground with a _whumph_ and a muffled "kweh."

"I have been awaiting you, Master," the figure stated. Its voice sounded feminine, but it seemed to have an odd monotonic quality to it—a quality that Nakate would have described as "robotic." "Normally, this meeting right now would be impossible, but due to certain events that have transpired, this meeting is of the utmost importance."

"Wha-who are you?" Link was confused by the sudden appearance, and subsequent speech, of the figure standing-no, floating-in front of them.

"Forgive me. I am known as Fi," the figure said, "the Spirit of the Master Sword. It is my duty to help every hero who wields this legendary weapon through guidance and analysis."

"Um, nice to meet you?" Link scratched the back of his head while Nakate sat up groggily. "But, uh, what's going on?"

"I have come to inform you that your journey will not be as simple as you once thought," stated Fi matter-of-factly. "In light of the fact that things are now how they should be, the gods have led you here to receive the service that I am able to provide at this time."

"Um, okay?" Link said. "What do you mean by that?"

"Originally, this meeting could never have occurred," Fi stated. "After heading to Kakariko village, you were to head to the Eastern Palace, where you would find the elder Sahasrala. After receiving from him the Courage Pendant, you were to collect the Wisdom and Power Pendants from their respective homes. Then, and only then, were you to come into the Lost Woods, where you would claim the Master Sword for your own. After a series of events, you would find yourself in the Sacred Realm, twisted and distorted, where you would save the Seven Maidens the Wizard Agahnim sacrificed in an attempt to resurrect the evil Ganon. Then, upon Ganon's revival, you would slay him with the Master Sword and the Silver Arrow, and peace would be restored to the land."

"Wow, that's . . . er . . ." Link paused and took a deep breath. "That's a lot of information to take in at once. So you're saying is that I succeeded in my quest?"

"Correct," affirmed the spirit. "However, this information is now all but useless, as far more factors are at play than before. Now, due to the influence of Subspace, nothing is sure anymore. As the traveler by your side has already informed you, distortions in reality are appearing all across the world. It is not a matter of 'finding and eliminating the source,' as you have surmised, and nor is it a matter of 'correcting the things that went wrong'."

"So, what's your point in all of this? What are we supposed to do?" Nakate asked, head quirked to the side.

"My point: for now, do nothing out of the ordinary."

"Huh?" Whatever they were expecting, this most certainly was not it.

"Continue on as you were before. However, the timeline has already diverged too far from its origin." Fi continued in her monotone. "It is impossible to correct things to the way they once were, which is why the gods are granting you a special ability."

Before Link had a chance to ask what she meant, both Fi and the Master Sword simultaneously shone with a golden light. The light grew in intensity, almost blinding the adventurers, until it suddenly stopped. When Link could see again, he noticed the birthmark on his left hand—a patch of skin shaped like a triangle, darker than the rest—had now lit up with a golden light. Link blinked his confusion.

"Within you is the power to manipulate the distortions where they exist, to a limited extent," droned Fi. "In other words, to combat the "glitches" found in this world, you now have the ability to use those "glitches" for your own gain."

"Almost like a hacker?" Nakate guessed.

"Close, but not exactly. You are to access the power of the glitches and use those to return this world to order."

"This is strangely familiar to me," mused the yellow bird. Link just looked around in confusion.

"Unfortunately, this is all the help I am able to give at this present time." Fi stated. "Until we meet again, my Master." And with that, she vanished in a ball of light into the Master Sword.

"Um, what?" Link said. "What's going on?"

"We might as well do as she said for now," Nakate said. "We'll figure out more at a later date."

Confused, but compliant, Link turned away from the resting Blade of Evil's Bane, Nakate once again hopping onto his perch that consisted of Link's head. Link's hand ceased to glow, and the fog closed in around them once more as they left the clearing.

* * *

They were lost.

After what had seemed like hours of wandering around in circles, Link couldn't take it anymore. He collapsed in a patch of bushes, flopping down face-first.

"Link, what the crap are you doing?" snapped Nakate. "You can't just lie down in the middle of the forest!"

The only reply he got was a muffled mumble, followed by the sounds of relaxed breathing.

"Honestly . . . ." the Chocobo sighed. He sat down next to the green youth, and started preening. "He must be tired. He's been up ever since last morning. I'm surprised he had the energy to even make it to the Lost Woods."

Eventually, the quiet noises of the Woods and Link's snores were enough to add weight to Nakate's eyelids. Just for a moment, he decided, it couldn't hurt to . . .

. . . That's weird, there seemed to be far more light than before. And more water.

Nakate bolted up, eyes wide. He frantically looked around. The abundance of light could be attributed to torches mounted to stone walls—evidently, he was in some kind of cavern. This conclusion was only further evidenced by the damp wetness that pooled all around him—water, he realized. Shaking Link awake, he warily checked everywhere he could see for a potential enemy assault. With a yawn, Link smacked his lips and stretched. "Oh, hey, Naka," he said sleepily.

"There's a –te at the end," Naka corrected. "It looks like your little nap has caused us a fair bit of grief."

Link, finally realizing his situation, quickly lept to his feet and drew his sword and shield. As he searched the lit cavern with a wary eye, a ruby glint caught his attention. Taking several cautions steps forward after noticing the edge of the platform they were currently, he reached down, plucked the object from its resting place and triumphantly held it up to the light.

"What is that?" inquired Naka, curious.

"A Piece of Heart!" Link said triumphantly. He pocketed it and stepped away from the ledge. "Collect four pieces total to get Heart Container!" he said for no real reason.

"Speaking of Heart Containers, you never did really explain what they were." Naka realized.

Link nodded. "Veluntyn Crystals, known commonly as Heart Containers, are a kind of 'life-enhancement' object. A large amount of life force, or mana, or whatever—I don't really know—is placed into these things by some kind of secret method. It basically gives you the life of another 'you', so to speak. You're stronger, faster, get sick harder, and can take more. However, they're very rare, so they're quite valuable." He grinned. "For someone like me to get not only a whole Heart Container, but a Piece of Heart as well? I must be _really_ lucky. Maybe Naka's my good-luck charm."

"Somehow, I don't think that told me anything," Naka sighed. "Also, you're not gonna drop the 'Naka' thing, are you?"

"No, not really. It's got a nice ring to it." Link said. After looking around the space they were in, he walked over to where the Piece of Heart lay earlier and peered over the edge. "It's not that far down, maybe ten or so feet. No other way out, so we might as well give it a shot."

Link jumped off, rolling upon impact. Naka, in contrast, merely fluttered down. "Or, you could've held onto the ledge and dropped down. It's safer, you know," Naka said.

"Why would anyone want to do that?" Link said, dumbfounded. The Chocobo merely sighed.

To their right was a hole in the wall—it was obvious what there next step was. Through there, they met a retired thief, who explained that he had come to check on them after he had heard them fall through the hidden entrance in the roof. Upon seeing that they were okay, he decided to leave them be until they woke up. He also declined to take back the Piece of Heart Link had picked up, since he figured that it would do more good in the hands of someone who wasn't, well, a criminal. After a few parting words, the duo left, emerging from another hidden entrance in a hollowed-out treestump.

"It must be daytime," Link realized upon seeing the Woods with more light than he had last recalled it having. "I guess we spent the night in there, huh."

"Lucky didn't run into a _working_ thief," Naka said, "but I'd check my stuff once more, just to be safe."

After confirming that they did have all of their items still in their possession—Link's sword, shield, lamp, boomerang, and wallet; the map of Hyrule, the newly-acquired Piece of Heart, and a strange mushroom Link had picked up from somewhere—Link and Naka continued on their journey to Kakariko village. It was a surprisingly simple affair to exit the Lost Woods, stepping out of the trees and into the broad daylight. They stopped and stretched, enjoying the midday sun on their face. After a second, Link pointed towards the horizon.

"That's the road right there!" He shouted, doing a little hop. "And I can see Kakariko Village!"

Descending the slope of the hill towards the path, as the Lost Woods had ejected them out onto an outcropping overlooking the town, the two picked up their pace and made a beeline for their first stop. Thankfully, there were no Soldiers to be found, so their journey was not impeded. They only stopped when they saw a wooden archway, welcoming them to the humble residence.

Finally, they had made it to Kakariko.

Link grinned widely. "Man, we're finally here!"

"It did take us an entire day," Naka said, "but we are indeed here at last."

Passing through the archway, they took a couple of steps before Naka stopped, frowning a bit. When Link asked what was wrong, the Chocobo simply asked to be placed upon Link's head again, as his feet were hurting a bit. Link stooped to do so. After Naka got on and Link stood, he felt a weird fluffling sensation upon his head.

"Hey, what did you do?" Link demanded, a bit weirded out.

"Oh, I just magic'd myself into being part of your hair," the Chocobo replied smugly. Indeed, if Link could see himself, he would notice that, in addition to his normally purple locks now bearing a lighter color resembling pink, he had a single golden highlight that popped up, and refused to follow the flow that the rest of his hair adhered to.

"Well, why'd ya do that?" Link reached up and tugged on the offending strand, wincing a bit when it didn't come off. "Get off!"

"Several reasons," Naka supplied after Link gave up his attempts at purging the Chocobo from his head, "People would find it odd for a strange, talking bird to be following you around. I'm doing this to avoid attention. I'm also not a fighter, so this is a safety precaution. And my feet are tired," Naka concluded.

"And you feel the need to do something as stupid as this when there are so many better things that you could do . . . why?" Link asked in irritation. The only response he received was a "Kweh" and nothing more.

Link gave up. "Can't you at least make it the same color as the rest?" That Naka did do, to the further irritation of Link.

Grumbling, Link stomped down the road. "I'll never understand mages and their whims and stupid ideas," he muttered.

XXX

He had calmed down by the time he arrived in the town proper. "It's been a while since I've visited this place," he mused aloud. Brining out his map, he quickly scanned it before putting it back. "It should be somewhere around here," he said.

"Do you think we should ask around?" Naka suddenly spoke up. Link, confused, looked around for the golden Chocobo before remembering what had transpired a bit earlier. "That's kind of creepy. Knock it off," he commanded his hair.

"No can do." Came the reply. "So, you gonna ask around or what?"

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Eventually, Link found himself standing in front of large, rectangular house. "Guess this is it," he concluded. However, as he ascended the steps, he noticed a wooden sign off to the side, planted firmly in the ground. Upon closer inspection, he was shocked to find that it bore upon itself an image of his face. Painted lower were neat Hylian letters, which read:

"WANTED! This is the criminal who kidnapped Zelda! Call a soldier if you see him!"

Link's heart sank. "Wow, I'm a criminal?"

"That was awfully quick work," Naka said. He clucked his tongue, and continued, "We shouldn't have asked around."

"Well, poo." Link said flatly. Suddenly, he grasped the sign with both hands, and pulled upwards. It popped out with a very comical noise. Turning away from the house, he chucked the sign off of the hill. The sign shattered upon impact with the ground, notice rendered illegible. "Now they'll never know," he said with a huff.

"That was awfully childish of you," Naka said.

"Oh, shut up." Link knocked on the door, and, upon receiving confirmation, entered the abode.

"Oh, it's you, Link," the old matron of the house said warmly, upon seeing the youth arrive. "What can I do for you?"

"Hey," Link returned the greeting. He then frowned. "Where's the Elder?"

The old lady sighed, and Link could feel the temperature of the house drop a bit. "He hasn't been seen since the Wizard began collecting his victims, I'm afraid," she said sadly.

"That's . . . um . . . ." Link trailed off. "I'm sorry," he finished lamely.

"Don't be, child," the woman chuckled softly. "It's been a long time. I can only fear for the worst and hope for the best. But I doubt that's all you came here for, is it? You haven't visited us for a long time," she said, a glimmer to returning to her eyes.

"Yeah." Link thought for a second, before Naka whispered, loud enough for only Link to hear, "Ask her about the Master Sword."

"The Master Sword?" the elder repeated, surprised, after Link informed her of his request. "Well, I don't remember any details _exactly,_ but . . ."

"Anything would be good," Link said.

"Very well," she said. "Long ago, a prosperous people lived in this land. Legends tell of the many treasures they hid throughout Hyrule. The Master Sword, a mighty blade forged against those with evil hearts, is one of them. People say now it sleeps deep in a forest somewhere." She looked at Link. "I'm sorry, but that's all I can remember for right now."

"It's good enough, auntie," Link said. "Thanks for all the help."

"Oh, I'm too old to be an aunt," the old woman chuckled. "Go to town. There must be someone there who knows about the elder, hmm?"

"Er, about that . . . ." Link scratched the back of his head nervously. He could hear Naka intake a sharp breath.

"If it's about your status as a criminal, then don't worry." Came the reply. "Everyone who knew you before would never sell you out. They know what kind of kid you are, and that you would never do something like that." She paused. "Be wary of the new faces, though. You haven't been here for a while, and many new people showed up. Those that don't know you won't hesitate to turn you in without a second thought."

"All right. Thanks, auntie!" Link said, sprits uplifted. As he walked through the doorway, the elder called out, "And take care!"

Link closed the door behind him, and took a look around. "It's certainly changed since the last time I was here," he said. Something caught his eye. "Hey, what's that?"

He made his way over to a strange green-roofed building. "Odd, I think this was something else before." Entering the building, he was surprised to see a very large glasses-wearing man standing in a very spacious room. He recognized him instantly. "Hey, JoJo!" he greeted, ignoring Naka's startled spluttering.

The large man grinned. "Link! It certainly has been a while." He gestured around. "Look what I found! It used to be a hideout for a gang of thieves."

"No really?" Link asked, grin widening as he grasped JoJo's hand in greeting.

"Yeah, really. The leader's name . . . Blight, I think it was?" The glasses-wearing man frowned in concentration. "He hated bright light, if I remember correctly." He then shook his head. "But enough about unimportant stuff. How are ya?"

"Good, good." Link smirked. He then noticed a frown once again appearing on JoJo's face. "What's wrong?"

"Link . . . ." the larger man said hesitantly. "Did you kidnap Zelda?" he said bluntly and with a sudden intensity.

"What? No!" Link said frantically, startled. "She was in the dungeon and I rescued her!"

JoJo breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, I had to make sure." He gave a wry smile. "None of the guys believe you did it. They have their doubts, but we all trust you, ya know?"

"Yeah. She's at the Sanctuary, actually."

"Incidentally, that was your first meeting with her. You gotta tell me more about it later." The larger man clapped the smaller on the back, making Link wince a bit. "But you look like you're doing things, and I don't want to keep you from your job. There's stuff downstairs if you need. I think you'll find it handy." He jerked a thumb at a staircase leading downstairs to a basement.

"Thanks, man." Link said before descending, JoJo returning to his previous state of . . . whatever he was doing. "Man, it's good to see him again. Yo, what's up?" he asked, noticing Naka's state of silence.

" . . . Was that . . . a Joestar?" he asked hesitantly.

"Oh? That's Joachim of house Jo-Kokab, or JoJo for short, as he insists. He's one of my friends from the time I spent with the Knights." Link said with a grin. "Great guy. Nice, kind, polite, great with a sword. Strong as crap, too."

"I'd imagine so, he looked like five thousand pounds of pure muscle." Naka muttered. If Link still found anything strange with his hair talking to him, he didn't say anything. "I'm assuming this is the one with the star-shaped birthmark on his neck?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Link asked. He now stood in a room with four chests laying on the ground. He opened one and pulled out a red gem. "Sweet, a twenty!" he crowed.

"Remind me to ask about Hylian economics later," Naka said, while Link opened another chest to find another twenty Rupees inside. "As for me knowing about his birthmark, I'll tell you later, if it ever comes up again."

"Whatever, yo." Link said distractedly, opening a third chest. "Hey, are they all the same?" He wondered aloud. Confirming his guess with the fourth chest, he pocketed the money and exhaled, satisfied. "And now I'm sort of rich."

They left, waving goodbye to JoJo, who paused long enough to return the salutation. "Man, I can't wait to see everyone again."

"Your old comrades?" Link nodded. "Care to tell me about them?"

They descended some steps and joined the main road, headed for the marketplace. "Well, there's JoJo, who you just met. Really strong, usually fights with his fists, yadda yadda." He began ticking down fingers. "Then there's Gin, who's a lazy butt, but really good deep down. Uh, Alice, one of the few female knights and one of the best fencers there is. Keese—he hates it when you make fun of his name—is a member of the Guard Corps, and an astounding lancer. Oh, and the last guy is a Gerudo. He's a transfer, and a crack shot with a bow. Er, Dorf's his name."

"What an interesting group," Naka mused. He paused. "Wait, a male Gerudo?"

"Hey, at least you know that much." Said Link. "He claims that guys aren't as rare as 'once every hundred years,' but we haven't confirmed that claim yet. Overall," Link finished up, "they're a pretty good bunch of guys. There are a couple more that we usually do things with, but they didn't go to the knight school."

Naka hmmed. "Are you sure we should be wandering out in public like this?" he asked suddenly.

"Don't worry, didn't you hear what the elder said?" Link waved him off. "See, we'll be fine."

They arrived at the main square. It seemed to be a lazy sort of day, as not many people were out and about. "Ooh, the Carpet Vendor has bottles!" Link's eyes lit up. "Lucky me!" He strode over to where a turban-wearing man sat cross-legged on a carpet surrounded by various objects and knickknacks. He dug around for his wallet. "How much are bottles? Are they two hundred? I think they're two hundred." Finding his wallet, he checked inside. "Bugger, only 136."

Upon noticing a potential customer, the vendor called out, "You, sir! Have you been going through life without one of my hold-anything bottles?" Link turned to face him. "Well step on up and make your life complete! I've got one on sale today for the low, low price of one hundred Rupees!"

"Oh man one hundred!" Link whooped. "I'll take one!"

Transaction complete, the salesman said, "Now, hold it above your head, for the whole world to see, OK? It's good business!" Link did just that, cheerfully singing a catchy four-note jingle that Naka seemed to have recognized from somewhere.

Link walked away with a bounce to his step. "Aw yeah, got me one for one hundred!" He sang, bottle clasped firmly in his hand.

"Is one hundred cheap?" Naka said, curious.

"Yup." Link grinned. "It's normally two hundred. It's made of enchanted glass, so it won't break, crack, or leak for a gooood long while. Its inside also stays clean no matter what you put in it, so you could store a fish in there, and then immediately after put in drinking water. Also, the space is bigger on the inside than on the outside. So it's pretty good."

Naka whistled. "Incidentally, how much does a loaf of bread go for?"

"About 20."

Naka was about to comment, when Link accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, excuse me. I wasn't looking."

"Oh, no problem," the woman said. "It's all right, don't worry—" she froze when she saw him. "Help! It's the wanted man! Solders! Anyone! Come quick!" she turned on the spot and bolted into a nearby store, slamming the door shut.

Caught off guard, Link only stared as the residence seemed to empty in a flash.

"Gat dang it," he muttered as green-clad Soldiers appeared. Not wanting to cause trouble, he quickly fled into the housing area, attempting to throw off his pursuers with the twists and turns of the backstreets. Eventually, he spotted a familiar sight. "In here!" he said to himself, as he made for the doorway. He opened it, dashed inside, spun and slammed it shut, collapsing against its frame. He breathed heavily for a few moments, before looking up. Staring at him with half-lidded eyes was a young child, still laying down in a bed, covers pulled up to his neck. "Oh, sorry for waking you," Link said a bit sheepishly, still out of breath. "You okay there, squirt?"

"It's okay, Link," the boy mumbled, before coughing a bit. "I can't go out again today 'cuz I'm sick," he complained. "People say that I caught this from the evil air that's coming down from the mountains." He sniffled.

"Sorry to hear that, little guy." Link stood up and went to the window. Good the coast is clear. "Hey, do you still have that Adventurer's Pouch that I lent you? May I have it back?"

"Mmmhmm," the boy mumbled, pointing to over at the table. "Sure." Link walked over and picked up the Adventurer's Pouch, a set of leather pouches of various size. Each one was far larger on the inside, capable of storing many kinds of gear. Fastening his returned position to his belt, Link noticed a wooden net propped up against the wall. "Hey, is that yours?" He whistled. "Pretty sweet."

The boy coughed once again. "That's my bug-catching net." He turned over. "I'll use it when I'm better, but for now I'll lend it to you," he mumbled, coughing again.

"Gee, thanks, squirt." Link picked up the net. "Is there anything you need right now?"

An incoherent vocalization that sounded vaguely like "no" emanated from the sick child. Link gave a slight chuckle, before fixing the boy's covers and heading towards the door. "I'll be back to give this back later, so just focus on getting better now, you hear?" The boy responded with another unintelligible answer, before breathing deeply, symbolizing his drifting off into sleep.

Link shut the door quietly behind him as he left, making sure to check for any Soldiers wandering about. Seeing none, he let out a sigh of relief and opened the various compartments on his belt.

"Who was that boy?" Naka inquired as Link began putting the various items he collected into his Adventure's Pouch in an organized fashion. "He seemed to know you."

"Yeah, I know him." Link affirmed, mentally checking keeping inventory. "His name's Palom. I used to take care of him when I came to Kakariko; his mom's a friend of my Uncle." Satisfied with his organization, he adjusted his belt and his tunic. "I've known him ever since he was a little bugger. Views me like an older brother, and he's the kid brother I never had. Hope he gets better soon," he finished.

"Incidentally, that's quite the handy contraption you have there," Naka observed. "Keeps you organized, hmm?"

"Yeah. It also protects the items from harm. All rather convenient, if you ask me." Link said with a grin. "Don't want to accidentally lose my wallet or my Piece of Heart."

Having completed his errand, Link decided to head to the bar next. If he was right, then there was something there that he needed. Thankfully, the Telma's All-Age Bar wasn't too far away. _Guess I should be thankful that everything here is within walking distance_, he thought. He headed on in through the rear door.

Telma's All-Age Bar was a novelty unique to Kakariko: while it did serve alcoholic beverages like any normal bar would, it was actually divided up into two segments. The front door led to the "Family Bar," a place that served beverages with little to no alcohol. It functioned more like a café or a mom-and-pop shop, or, as Link would put it, one of those "coffee shops" that were popping up in Hyrule Market Town. The rear entrance led to the "Adult Bar," which was, simply enough, a normal bar. The staff very friendly, and the patrons easygoing and cheerful. It was, all in all, a very relaxed atmosphere, one of family and comfort.

Link opened the door and strode in. "Anybody home?" he asked.

"Hey, Link!" The bar's owner, Telma, a matronly woman known for her hospitality, was ever-present. "Welcome back, son! How long are you staying? What can I do fer ya today?"

"Hey, Telma. Not staying that long, got stuff to do." He took a seat on a stool. "Slow day, huh?"

"Mmhm." Telma agreed, reaching down and grabbing a glass. "The usual?"

"Sure." She set the glass in front of him and filled it with a bubbling red liquid. Link took the beverage and sipped it at intervals, sighing. "Man, this is good stuff."

"Pretty impressive for a young'n such as you to get such a heft bounty on yer head," she smirked when Link choked a bit. "Kidnappin' the Princess? What a brave young lad."

Link rolled his eyes. "Uncle and I left to go rescue her from the castle's dungeon."

"That bad, huh?" she said, returning to polishing dishes. "What with the whole thingamathing with the situation with the castle and all, I'd reckon that you did a very good deed, ya hear?"

"Just what is going on?" Link asked. "I was on the road for all of yesterday."

"Well, fer starters, all of them Soldiers or whatever they're called are on the prowl for yer head all throughout Hyrule," Telma drawled. "Even as far as the Eastern Palace. The castle's on lockdown, 'purently, bein' run by some weirdo in some fancy robes. Thankfully a buncha the knights were able to escape, includin' that little group 'o yours." Link nodded. "Unfortunately, the rest all either got killed or thrown in the dungeons, so I don't reckon they're in any good shape right now."

Link set his drink down on the bar. "Ah, that hit the spot." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You do make this the best, Telma." He blinked, then realized something. "Crap, I'm _starving!"_

"Still no alcohol fer you yet, Link?" Telma asked as she procured a plate of food, into which Link tore into like a tornado. She chuckled when Link shook his head, mouth full, cheeks bulging out like a chipmunk. "Guess warriors 'o justice gotta be sober 'n all."

"Mmmfph." Link swallowed the last of his meal. "Actually, I came here to ask a favor." Link remembered. "Do you still have the bottle I left here a while back?"

"In the pot over there," she pointed to a clay jar that was on the ground. Link got off the stool and walked over to it. "Why did you put it in there?" he asked.

"Doin' a bit of cleanin' earlier today, put it there and forgot to put it back," she shrugged. Link fished around inside the jar with his hand, pulling out the bottle with little trouble. It was a bottle similar to the one head just bought earlier that day. "Be sure not to disturb the other jar," she warned. Link followed her gaze to another jar, close by. "Calico's restin' inside it."

Link peered over the pot's opening, spying a white Cuccoo sleeping soundly inside. "Well, I guess I'd better go," Link said. "Gotta be on my way." He made for the doorway. "Wait, that's right, I gotta pay."

He started to head back, but Telma waved him off. "It's on the house." She said.

"Ah, thanks." He returned to the door, and opened it, the bell jingling. "If anyone needs to know where I am, you know how to contact me."

Telma waved. "All right now, hun. Keep safe now, ya here?'

"Will do!" Link closed the door and walked away.

"Seems like a nice woman," Naka said.

"You've been silently lately," Link noted. Naka snorted. "How would people react to a talking bird, nevermind a voice coming out of your hair?" he asked. "Speaking of which, I talk to you in public, yet no-one notices. Why's that?"

"Oh, probably because they think it's someone else talking," Link dismissed. While that answer didn't satisfy Naka, he didn't press it. Suddenly, from around the corner, a red figure bolted towards the traveler. Sidestepping, Link let the figure zoom on bye. "Who was that?" asked a perplex Chocobo-turned-hair.

"Oh, that was Tim, the Running Man," Link informed his partner. "I don't think he stops running. Ever. It can't be healthy." Naka agreed.

Several turns later found Link at a Cuccoo-filled pen. Walking up to it, he rattled the fence a bit. From the inside of the shed that was located to the side came a voice. "Coming!" Out walked a boy, slightly older than Palom, dressed in a dirty tunic. "Hey, Link!" he said upon seeing the arrival.

"Yo, Genis. How's it going?" Link said.

"Pretty OK." He dusted his hands off. "What did you need?"

Link lowered his voice to a whisper, and Genis moved in closer. "Do you know where your grandpa is?"

Genis glanced around. "Don't tell any of the bad people this," he whispered, not that he needed to warn Link about going to the people that were after his own head, "but he's hiding in the Eastern Palace." Link let out a low whistle. "Dang, that's far." He said.

Genis nodded. "Here, give me your map," he said. As Link handed it over to him, he pointed. "Right over here, see?" Link nodded in affirmation. "I'd say the quickest way to get there would be to go . . . here," he pointed again, "and then here." He handed the map back to Link. "It's gonna be several days by horse, and more by foot. What's so important you need to see gramps for?" he asked.

"Hero stuff," Link grinned, which was matched by the boy's own. "Don't worry 'bout me, I'll be safe. If JoJo or the others ask where I am, tell 'em, all right?"

"Will do," Genis agreed, and waved as Link walked away.

Link headed south, and before long, reached the edge of the village, marked, like its northern border, with a wooden arch. "Everyone there seems to like you, Link, save for the obvious," Naka piped up.

"Yeah, did a lot of my knight stuff there," Link grinned. "Good times." As they walked the road, the sun beginning to set, Link thought for a bit. "I think I'll make it home for the night," he thought out loud.

"It took us half a day to get here from the Sanctuary. Do you know a special way back?" Naka inquired.

"Sure do," Link said. He then veered off the path, heading straight into the trees. "This should get us home shortly after dark."

After a few minutes of walking, Link caught a sound upon the wind. "Hey, can you hear that?" he asked his birdlike companion. The ahoge on Link's head popped off on its own free will, transforming once again into the golden-feathered bird. "I do," Naka replied, straining his ears. It was not long before they came across a clearing. Sitting on a treestump, surrounded by animals, was a boy playing a flute. As Link and Naka took a step, a twig snapped. Startled the animals scattered. The boy stopped playing, looked directly at Link, and then—

"Wait, what?" Link said in a shock.

"He just disappeared!" Naka said, flabbergasterd. He looked around. "Was that some kind of warp, or . . . ." he trailed off.

Unable to come to a conclusion, the two gave up and continued on their way, Naka once again becoming an unruly strand of pink hair. About an hour had passed, and the sun was almost gone. Link moved through the trees, avoiding the Soldiers that were still out and about. It was dark by the time the familiar hill to his house appeared. Making sure that no-one was around, he quickly darted out of the trees and ran up the hill. The moonlight shone upon the residence that he shared with his uncle, illuminating the countryside as well. Link quietly opened the door, and collapsed onto his bed, Naka detransforming before he did. Link fell sound asleep, not even bothering to remove his gear. Naka soon followed suit, curling up into a ball of feathers, oblivious to the world around him.

* * *

The pair got up early, and after a hearty breakfast—in which Naka learned that Link ate quite a bit—gathered their belongings and headed out the door. Link took with him several additional sections for his Adventurer's Pouch, along with a few necessities, money that he had saved up, and some travelling food. Nakate was once again reminded of how thankful he should be for such a convenient tool. "How much does that weigh?" he asked, pointing at the Adventurer's Pouch after Link had finished stuffing his pouches. "And is there any limit to its carrying capacity?"

"Yeah, there's a limit," confirmed Link. "And it's as heavy as it would be if someone were to carry all of this stuff normally. No weight loss." He adjusted his belt once again, checking to see if his sword and shield were on correctly. Undershirt good, tunic good, shorts good, boots good, hat good. Completely ready, he exited the house, Naka transforming once again into a piece of Link's hair. As such, they set off.

It took them a fair bit over week to travel from Link's house, near the middle of Hyrule, to the eastern edge of the kingdom. While Hyrule wasn't the largest of countries, dwarfed by its Gerudo neighbor, it was certainly the most powerful. Along the way, Link heard news from other fellow travelers about the situation—it seemed that Agahnim was still conducting his vile sorcery, but the rest of the kingdom seemed to be functioning normally. He also received word that some of Link's knight buddies were currently on their way to meet him at the Eastern Palace. During the week, Link would usually avoid conflicts with monsters and Soldiers, coming in various colored armor and wielding a plethora of weapons, but dispatched his foes quickly when he had to stop and fight. Link and Nakate grew fairly close over the course of the week, often chatting about things of relative importance, to things of none. While Naka did not reveal much of his past, Link did inform his companion of how his world work, and much thereof—Naka finally got that economics lesson he wanted. At one point during the week, the topic of Link's meeting with Fi was brought up—they both had completely forgotten that encounter.

"You know, it's odd." Link realized. "I remember meeting Fi, and seeing the Master Sword, and a good deal of what she said, but it doesn't stick. It's almost like the memory won't come when I search for it."

"I get what you mean," the Chocobo replied. "I'm guessing that this is just a side effect? Or perhaps a way of making sure that we do things as we come across them. I mean, what if we had remembered the bit about the Eastern Palace that Fi told us about?" He frowned. "What was that again?"

"I don't quite remember, but I agree," Link agreed, "it would have been different."

Finally, after a long week of hiking, battles and treacherous turns, Link and Nakate, in his Chocobo form, found themselves standing in front of an old stone building. They had climbed a mountain to get this far, and had wandered amidst the ruins of the place for a good deal of time before finally reaching their destination. With a nod, the two companions—no, they were now friends—entered.

After adjusting their eyes to the dim torchlight, the pair traversed a narrow pathway that opened up into a stone room. In the middle of said room was an old, balding Hylian man with a full, white beard, clad in robes of yellow, oaken staff in hand. Without turning around to face his guests, he said, "I am indeed Sahasrala, village elder and descendant of the Seven Sages. Welcome, Link and Nakate. I had foreseen your arrival."

Impressed that he could tell who they were, Link and Naka shared a glance. "Sir Sage," began Link. "We have come here for information about the Master Sword."

"Indeed you have," the Sage replied, turning around to face them. Etched upon his elderly features were years of wisdom, knowledge, and hardship, tempered by the kindly, yet stern, eyes of a grandfather. "I was surprised that a young man like you is searching the Blade of Evil's Bane. Not just anyone can use that weapon." He gave them both a searching glance. "Legends say that only Hero who has one the three Pendants can wield the sword." He paused. "Do you really want to find it?"

"Well, yeah!" Link said, as Naka chimed in, "Of course!"

Saharsala stroked his beard. "Good." He decided at length. "As a test, retrieve the Courage Pendant from the Eastern Palace." He closed his eyes. "If you bring it here, not only will I tell you more of the legend, but I will also give you a magic artifact."

"Wait, seriously?" Link said. He turned to Naka, both of them sharing dorky grins on their faces. "Let's go!"

As they turned to leave, Sahasrala had one last thing to say. "Do not treat this matter lightly. If you are not able to overcome this first trial of many, you will not be able to do anything—even that special "ability" will be worth nothing."

"Um, okay?" Link nodded. "Don't worry. We're gonna bring it back, no matter what."

Sahasrala stroked his beard once more. "Well then, make haste. We must not waste time."

The pair turned and left, Sahasrala once more turning to his meditation.

The entrance to the Eastern Palace was located further up the mountain, about an hour's hike away. The pair made their way up the mountain with intensity, focused on their task. It was not long before the grand stairs that led to the palace appeared before them.

"You know, I think I'll just chalk Sahasrala knowing that we were coming to 'sage magic'." Naka decided, hopping up another step as he did so.

"I think that's a great attitude to have," breathed Link, taking two stairs per stride. "It's best if you don't think too hard about much of the magic. There's a reason for why it works the way it does, we just don't know it." He nodded sagely.

The pair ascended the final set of stairs, before stopping and turning around. "Wow, look at how far we've come!" Exclaimed Link, keeping his hat steady in the wind.

"Yeah," the Chocobo said. He turned to look at his friend, who looked back. "But we've still got a long way to go."

"Yup. So let's do this thing." Link turned around and faced the doorway of the Eastern Palace, Naka once again shifting into his unobtrusive form of Link's ahoge. The open archway, from what Link could see, led only into darkness. As he stared into the void, Link felt a chill run down his spine. "Well, here goes nothing," he said, and stepped forward into the dungeon.

* * *

Author's Note: Heylo, Insert here. If you haven't noticed, things will differentiate from the game a bit. Also, you now get chapter titles! Huzzah! I don't think I can go back and retitle the others, so unless it becomes a problem, I'm just gonna start chapter names from here on out.

Also, please let me know what I can do to improve. Alternatively, what you liked, so I can keep on doin' what y'all like.

Many thanks,

Insert


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